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LXD vs Vagrant: What are the differences?
Introduction
LXD and Vagrant are both tools used for managing and deploying virtual machines, but they have some key differences. In this article, we will explore the main differences between LXD and Vagrant.
Execution Environment: LXD is a containerization tool that provides a lightweight and isolated environment for running applications. It uses Linux Containers (LXC) to achieve this. On the other hand, Vagrant is a virtualization tool that creates and manages virtual machines using technologies such as VirtualBox, VMware, or Hyper-V. While LXD focuses on containers, Vagrant focuses on virtual machines.
Resource Overhead: LXD containers have lower resource overhead compared to virtual machines created by Vagrant. LXD containers share the host system's kernel, which reduces the memory and CPU usage. In contrast, virtual machines created by Vagrant require a separate operating system, increasing the resource requirements.
Development Workflow: Vagrant is often used in development workflows to create reproducible environments. Developers can define a Vagrantfile that specifies the required software, dependencies, and configuration for their project. These Vagrantfiles can be version-controlled and easily shared across developers, making it easier to set up consistent development environments. LXD, on the other hand, is more focused on production workloads where containers are deployed for ongoing services.
Networking: LXD provides a powerful networking abstraction that allows containers to be connected to networks with various configurations, such as bridged networks or NAT. This flexibility makes it easier to integrate containers into existing network infrastructures. Vagrant, on the other hand, uses virtual networks to isolate virtual machines and provide network connectivity.
Snapshots and Cloning: LXD provides built-in support for creating snapshots and cloning containers. Snapshots allow you to capture the state of a container at a specific point in time and restore it later if needed. Cloning allows you to create duplicate copies of a container with its complete state. Vagrant also supports snapshots and cloning, but it requires additional plugins or configurations to enable these features.
Integration with Orchestration Tools: LXD integrates well with orchestration tools like Kubernetes or Docker Swarm, making it easier to scale and manage containerized applications in a clustered environment. Vagrant, on the other hand, is more commonly used for managing virtual machines in a development or testing environment and might require additional configurations to work seamlessly with orchestration tools.
In Summary, LXD is a containerization tool that focuses on lightweight and isolated environments, whereas Vagrant is a virtualization tool used for managing and deploying virtual machines with a strong focus on development workflows. LXD has lower resource overhead, provides powerful networking capabilities, and integrates well with orchestration tools.
lxd/lxc and Docker aren't congruent so this comparison needs a more detailed look; but in short I can say: the lxd-integrated administration of storage including zfs with its snapshot capabilities as well as the system container (multi-process) approach of lxc vs. the limited single-process container approach of Docker is the main reason I chose lxd over Docker.
Pros of LXD
- More simple10
- Open Source8
- API8
- Best8
- Cluster7
- Multiprocess isolation (not single)5
- Fast5
- I like the goal of the LXD and found it to work great5
- Full OS isolation4
- Container3
- More stateful than docker3
- Systemctl compatibility2
Pros of Vagrant
- Development environments352
- Simple bootstraping290
- Free237
- Boxes139
- Provisioning130
- Portable84
- Synced folders81
- Reproducible69
- Ssh51
- Very flexible44
- Works well, can be replicated easily with other devs5
- Easy-to-share, easy-to-version dev configuration5
- Great3
- Just works3
- Quick way to get running2
- DRY - "Do Not Repeat Yourself"1
- Container Friendly1
- What is vagrant?1
- Good documentation1
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Cons of LXD
Cons of Vagrant
- Can become v complex w prod. provisioner (Salt, etc.)2
- Multiple VMs quickly eat up disk space2
- Development environment that kills your battery1